Category Archives: Burgundy

On that subject, a book could be composed—a column couldn’t do the subject justice. But this story is purely territorial—the tale of two tipples, identical in price and weight; one from the extreme northern nose of the Côte d’Or, the … Continue reading →

When I asked a prominent Burgundian vigneron at what point during a growing season a winemaker knows for sure that the vintage will be great, she replied: “On the day of harvest.” To me, that single upchuck of cold, hard … Continue reading →

Throughout my quarter century of writing about wine I’ve tried to avoid controversial topics, because frankly, who needs the grief? Well, I suppose that’s not strictly true. In fact, it’s not even vaguely true. In my twenty-five years of wine … Continue reading →

Someone whose palate I respect poured a wine saying, “This is what California Chardonnay wants to be when it grows up.” Behind such a statement I can find many points with which to agree, but in general, although the idea … Continue reading →

A bat and a ball cost a dollar and ten cents in total. The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? On the surface, the question seems easy. That’s the way our brains … Continue reading →

In Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, attaching a big, famous name to your own plebian, obscure name has been an effective technique in the never-ending wine hustle. So much so, in fact, that négociants often purchase the local hyphen supply en primeur, … Continue reading →

A spitball’s throw away from the hallowed estates of Vosne-Romanée lies the somewhat less hallowed estates of Nuits-St-George, but the difference in prestige (and price) may be comparable to Prince Fielder’s salary in 2015 and Jackie Robinson’s in 1957. It’s … Continue reading →